Tell Me You Lied, I'll Tell You the Truth
by Midnight Raptor
Summary: Because if Teddy Altman wanted out then he was going to let her do just that. Even if it killed him. Teddy/Henry. Set after 7x21. Slightly different from canon. Chapter 4 up now. Complete
1. Chapter 1

READ first: This takes place after 7x21 and the events of that episode all happened as they did EXCEPT Henry does not mention getting his old insurance now that he has his old job back and does not ask Teddy for a divorce in that scene. Teddy still tells him that she has decided to move to Germany with Andrew.

Status: Complete

A/N: Hello again. This will be my first attempt at a Teddy/Henry fic. I feel like it could be a little better but I gave it my best shot. I've loved these two together every since he first appeared and I'm completely thrilled that they're "officially" together. I have to admit, up until 7x21 I was torn about who Teddy should be with because I loved Andrew too but when Henry asked for a divorce, my heart just broke. Anyways, this is my take on Henry dealing with Teddy leaving. The setting is a little different from canon so I hope you read the note I had before this. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: If I owned Grey's Anatomy, I would've had Mark and Lexie get back together in the finale. Seeing as how they didn't, I obviously don't own Grey's…

_Tell Me You Lied, I'll Tell You the Truth_

Chapter 1

The sudden appearance of a freshly opened beer on the table pulled Henry Burton out of his all-consuming thoughts. Momentarily pausing his peeling of the label of the empty bottle in his hand, he looked up to see Joe peering knowingly at him.

"You looked like you could use another."

Henry smiled at his insight. _I most certainly could_.

"It's on the house." Joe said when Henry began reaching into his pocket to retrieve his wallet.

"Thanks, Joe."

The barman nodded and cleared the table of the empty bottle before heading back to his position behind the bar.

Henry took a swig of his replenished beer supply. He'd never been much of a drinker and this was only his second beer of the night but considering what he was about to do, he figured that he could use the liquid courage. Unable to help himself, his eyes shifted to the papers that sat neatly on the seat next to him and another pang of sadness shot through his heart. Briefly, he considered simply getting up and walking away but having already told her to meet him, there was no un-ringing the bell now.

"_Teddy, hey, it's me. Listen, um…I was wondering if we could get a drink later. There's something I wanna talk about and uh…well, it's important so…how about 7:00 at Joe's? If you already have plans or if you're running late just give me a call. Otherwise, you know where I'll be. Okay, I'll see you later then."_

He glanced then at his watch. 7:09. She was late but considering that he'd left her the message just a few hours ago, he was willing to let it slide, certain that she would appear any minute. As the head of cardiothoracic surgery, the chances of her simply getting caught up in a complicated procedure far outweighed her standing him up.

Sure enough, the door swung open a moment later and she entered the bar, her long, dirty blonde hair billowing around her, causing Henry's heart to all but stop. She really was just absolutely beautiful. Only a fool would think otherwise.

She caught sight of him nursing his beer and made her way to his table, smiling. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Sorry I'm late." Reaching the table, she deposited her purse and coat on one of the chairs across from him. "I just got out of a five hour CABG and didn't get your message until I was getting ready to leave."

He had no clue what a "cabbage" was so he simply nodded. "No problem."

"I'm just gonna grab a drink real quick. You want another?" She motioned to his beer.

_Yes. _"I'm good, thanks."

He watched as she headed to the bar, willing himself to remain in his seat instead of bolting away like how he desperately wanted to. He'd spent the last three days trying to come up with any solution other than this but deep down he knew it wouldn't work out any other way.

She returned with two fingers of scotch which she promptly drank half of once she took her seat.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Hitting the hard stuff now?"

Cringing as the alcohol burned her throat, she held up a finger warningly. "I had an emergent aortic dissection to start my day, back-to-back CABGs, and got repeatedly mowed over for surgeries for the chief resident race. I deserve this."

"I'm sure you do." he replied, unable to suppress his smirk. The medical talk didn't intimidate him.

Her green eyes danced. "Are you mocking me, Mr. Burton?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Burton." It was out before he could stop himself and he winced internally at his slip.

Fortunately, she wasn't fazed. "Really? 'Cause it certainly sounds like you are."

"Oh, I'm much too afraid of the important cardio surgeon to mock her."

She smiled at his dig and Henry was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on the task at hand. He didn't know why he was flirting with her, not after she'd all but ripped his heart out by announcing that she was leaving for Germany with her goddamn knight in shining armor but he just couldn't help himself.

They fell silent for a moment, each regarding the other.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" she finally ventured, taking a smaller sip from her tumbler.

Henry took a breath and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. There would be no going back after this. "Well, I've uh…I've been doing some thinking lately. You know, considering everything that's happened with Andrew and Germany and me getting into Webber's clinical trial. It's all been a little crazy. But good crazy. I mean, we're both moving forward and…and that's great. Real great." He tried his best to show some enthusiasm but given the situation found it nearly impossible. "But the thing is…" _I'm in love with you. _"I haven't been fair to you. I really haven't ever been fair to you. I showed up with my Von Hippel Lindau disease, no insurance, and you gave me a second chance. You married me and you didn't have to. And I will always be grateful for that. But it isn't fair to you. If you chose Andrew, then none of this is fair to you. You want to move forward and you've already started to but as long as we're married that can't happen. Not really. And I don't want to do that to you. I don't want to be the thing that's holding you back because then you'll hate me for it. I don't want to be an obligation."

"Henry, you're not—"

A small, sad smile tugged at his lips. "But I am. If this is nothing but a business deal, then that's exactly what I am. And you deserve better. You deserve someone who didn't marry you because of your insurance. Someone you actually share something with other than a good story. And I'd hate to keep you from that." His heart was breaking now but he forced himself to finish. Reaching over to the chair next to him, he picked up the papers that sat neatly stapled to blue cardstock and laid them on the table to face her. "So, I took the liberty of drawing these up. Consider it my parting gift. Since I got my old job back I'll be getting my own insurance soon so you don't have to worry about me." He watched as she stared at the divorce papers, a flurry of emotions playing across her beautiful face. "I signed them already so all you have to do is give them to my lawyer when you're done." _Please don't. _"And you don't have to see me again." He looked at her for a moment longer like maybe if he stared long enough she'd take back her decision to follow Perkins. But it wasn't going to happen.

"Good-bye, Teddy." he said at last, the last of his heart shattering with the effort. And with that he hopped off the bar chair and made for the exit.

"Henry."

Her voice called out softly from behind him but he didn't look back, knowing that if he did he wouldn't be able to walk away again. And he needed to.

Because if Teddy Altman wanted out then he was going to let her do just that. Even if it killed him.

* * *

><p>AN: Some of you may object to how Henry "breaks up" with Teddy but I'll explain that in the next chapter (or you can reflect on the title, which is a hint XD ). If you understand why he says what he says then that's awesome because we're on the same page. This first chapter was heartbreaking but I promise they'll get a happy ending haha. Anyways, please tell me what you think! And I'll post the second half as soon as I can. :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ok, here's the deal. I had originally planned this to be a two-shot but as I was writing this second half, I came up with a different way to end it so this has turned into a three-shot now. XD There's a lot more angst in this version but I think it's justified. Anyways, here's the second chapter. As I said, it's filled with Teddy/Henry angst so prepare yourself. I hope you like it. Read and enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I may own this scene but Grey's Anatomy and all its characters belong to Shonda Rhimes.

Chapter 2

Henry sat on his couch, willing his eyes to shoot daggers at the TV in front of him. He always considered himself to be a pretty level-headed guy. There wasn't much that set him off but even if that happened, his outburst was pretty tame by most standards. However, given his current condition, he was certain that if he ever reached the threshold of his tolerance, his outburst would be anything but tame. As it was, he was teetering dangerously close to the edge separating irritation and pure, unadulterated anger.

It had been a day since he gave Teddy the divorce papers and walked out of her life and in that time there hadn't been one moment that he hadn't spent thinking about her. He knew he was just torturing himself but he honestly couldn't find it in him to simply forget about her.

Not that she was making it any easier. She had called his cell three times and left two voicemails earlier that day while he was out running errands before he had the sense to turn off his phone to keep himself from hurling it to the ground. When he arrived back home, another voicemail was waiting for him on his landline which he promptly deleted without even bothering to listen to it. A few seconds later, the phone started ringing but he managed to rip out the line before it rang twice. He then grabbed the last three beers in his fridge, which he only ever touched whenever the Mariners were playing, and deposited himself on the couch.

That had been hours ago but little had changed since then. The slight buzz from the beer had long since faded and he now found himself wishing that he kept stronger alcohol in the apartment. In front of him, the TV was tuned to the A's vs. the Giants but he paid little attention to the game and simply stared at the screen without actually taking in what was going on. Instead, the only thing he seemed to be able to focus on was her and it was driving him absolutely insane.

A sudden series of loud knocks on his door broke him from his thoughts. He knew there was only one person who could possibly be on the other side and sure enough, he heard her voice echoing in the hallway a moment later.

"I know you're in there, Henry. Just open the damn door."

The knocks resumed and he was half-tempted to shut himself in his room until she decided to go away. However, knowing her, the chances of that were extremely slim.

Exhaling loudly through his nose, he set his empty beer bottle on the coffee table before dragging himself to the door and flinging it open.

"Can I help you?"

Teddy stared back at him, her mouth drawn into a taut line. "Do you not believe in telephones anymore or something?" she asked before slipping past him into his apartment without waiting for an invitation.

His jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists. He was about two steps away from punch a hole through his wall. "What are you talking about?" Closing the door, he turned to see her standing by the counter.

"Phones, Henry. I'm talking about phones. Because I've been calling you all day but you seem to have fallen off the face of the earth."

"Well, maybe that should tell you something." He held his ground by the door and looked at her evenly. The night that he had walked away, he had fully convinced himself that it was the last time he was going to see her. And yet, here she was, standing in his apartment two days before she was supposed to leave. Life certainly had cruel ways of torturing him.

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Look, why are you here? Is there a problem with the paperwork? 'Cause according to my lawyer, having no assets makes this whole process extremely painless." _Bullshit._

His question seemed to derail her steely resolve as she blinked several times in rapid succession. "There's nothing wrong with the paperwork."

"Then what the hell is this about?"

"The fact that you even got the papers in the first place." she shot back, taking a step forward. "What, did you think that you'd just draw up the papers and expect me to sign them, no questions asked? You don't file for divorce and not talk about it first."

"We talked."

"No, _you_ talked. Now, it's my turn."

He raised his eyes to the ceiling and scoffed, incredulous. "This isn't even a real marriage. I figured you'd appreciate the initiative."

"Oh, is that what you're calling it? 'Initiative?'"

"What the hell do you care anyway? It's a business deal, right? So, why don't you just sign them and get on with your life with Andrew? He probably has traumatized people in Germany that need saving." It killed him more than he could describe to say those words but he needed to get her out of his head.

"Will you just shut up about Andrew?" she snapped, her voice rising. "This has nothing to do with him."

"He asked you to go to Germany and you said yes. This has everything to do with him." It was taking all his control to keep his anger from completely boiling over. He closed his eyes and took a breath and when he spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet. "Just sign the papers. And leave me alone." He brushed past her, hoping she'd take the hint.

She didn't. "Tell me why."

He turned back around to face her and for a second, he saw something flash in her brilliant green eyes. "Why what?"

She took another step towards him. "Why I should sign our relationship away. Or why you decided to go ahead with this without even asking me. Or why you're being such an ass about this. Take your pick 'cause I'm dying to know the answers to any of those questions."

There was a beat of silence.

"It wasn't your decision to make."

"It's my damn insurance. Look, I get that you want to move forward or whatever since you're getting your own insurance again but—"

At this, the unstable damn that had been holding back his emotions finally gave way and he stepped forward until he was merely inches away from her. "Is that what you think? That this is about the insurance? I couldn't give a slightest damn about your insurance. I gave you up because I wasn't gonna watch as I lost you to a goddamn knight in shining freaking armor." The weight of his admission fell heavily between them and he watched as her face seemed to slacken with realization. "I fell in love with you, Teddy." he said quietly when the silence became unbearable. "And it very well might've been the stupidest thing I've ever done but I can't do anything about it now." He paused. "So I need you to get out. Sign the papers, go to Germany, and just leave me the hell alone."

Silence.

"No."

"Teddy." he growled through gritted teeth.

"We're not done talking about this."

"Teddy, just get out."

"You're not listening to me, Henry."

"Teddy!"

"Will you shut up?"

"Damn it, Teddy!"

He crashed his lips to hers, losing whatever self-control he had left. Her body stiffened at his sudden movement and he felt her hands shoot up to his stomach as she pushed back against him but he resisted, coaxing her lips apart with his own instead. A moment later, she visibly relaxed, seemingly melting into his arms as he hooked them around her waist, bringing her flush against him. Her tongue shot into his mouth and he inhaled sharply at the intrusion but he couldn't possibly bring himself to mind. Taking a step forward, he pinned her against the wall and took no notice when a soft gasp escaped her mouth. He drank her in, committing her every feature to memory. Her peppermint-tasting lips, her dexterous fingers desperately clawing at his chest, the silkiness of her wavy blond hair, the sweetness of her skin. He took every sensation and locked it away, knowing he would never have a chance to do so again. He would've given anything to remain in this moment but he needed to let her go as much as it killed him to do so. Using every ounce of will power he had, he pulled away but leaned his forehead against hers, his left hand leaving her hip to open the door next to them.

"Get out." he breathed, his voice breaking slightly with the effort, before gently pushing her into the hallway and closing the door after her.

Taking a steadying breath, he turned around and leaned back against the door, allowing his eyes to close on their own accord, the taste of her lips still lingering on his. Damn the VHL. Teddy Altman was going to be the death of him.

* * *

><p>AN: VHL, from what I gathered from the season finale, is the abbreviation for Von Hippel Lindau (it's actually what Andrew calls Henry when they meet). I hope I didn't scare you away with all that angst haha. I'm just drawing out the drama a little bit longer. But the happiness is coming soon. I struggled a bit with this especially writing Henry since I haven't had experience writing him before so I think he comes off a little OOC in this. I'm not too happy with that but I did my best. As always, tell me what you think because I really do love hearing them. I'll post the final part as soon as I can. :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I lied again. This isn't the last chapter haha. I really love the enthusiasm you guys have shown for this. It really does make my day. So I decided to make this one chapter longer. No Henry in this because I decided to switch things up and write from Teddy's POV which I think works nicely because you get to see things from her side. Also, I'm using the detail that Teddy has a little cottage by the water which she mentioned back in Season 6 in case you get thrown off by the setting a bit. So, here's the third chapter. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: The characters are Shonda's. The song is Kesha's. The plot, however, is mine. XD

Chapter 3

_This place about to blow! Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!_

Having been so rudely awakened, Teddy groaned and threw an arm over her face. Who's brilliant idea had it been to make that awful song a ringtone?

Oh, right. Hers.

Flinging her other arm out in the general direction of the noise, she fumbled blindly for several seconds before her hand found her cell phone and silenced the offending ringer without even bothering to see who it was, leaving her to lay in the stillness of her room. Her eyes struggled to stay shut but with the early morning sun filtering through her curtains, she was fighting a losing battle despite the sheer exhaustion that was weighing down every muscle and bone in her body. She had slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning as a million thoughts crowded her head, all of which seemed to revolve around one person: Henry.

To say that she was conflicted would've been the understatement of the century. It was unbelievable how one man could make her feel so much. He infuriated her, confused her, irritated her but at the same time could turn around and make her knees weak, her head light, and her heart explode. She wanted to slap him and kiss him all at once, push him away and spend forever wrapped in his arms. _Damn you, Henry Burton. You're driving me in circles._

Just then, her doorbell rang, interrupting what undoubtedly would've been another one of those maddening circles. Grudgingly, she hauled herself out of bed and stumbled through her nearly empty house, all the while trying to fix herself to look at least half-way decent, although whoever deemed it appropriate to show up at someone's door at this ungodly hour shouldn't expect anything much better. She opened the door and jumped slightly at the sight of her visitor.

"Andrew! What're you doing here?" In the past 12 hours, she hadn't even spared him one thought and the fact that in 24 hours she would be getting on a plane with him and jetting off to Germany suddenly hit her like a brick wall.

He smiled and raised an eyebrow at her appearance. In all her preoccupation upon arriving home last night after driving back from Henry's, she had failed to change and was still in the clothes she had worn yesterday. "Well, I didn't see you all yesterday so I thought I'd take you out for some breakfast." he said, lowering his phone which she assumed had just called hers.

She blinked. "Oh. Uh…"

"I was thinking we can take my car and I'll just drop you off at the hospital after. I can wait in the car if you're not ready yet though." He jerked a thumb at his immaculate black BMW rental that was parked neatly in the dirt driveway.

Teddy waited to feel something for Andrew's sweet gesture, butterflies in her stomach, a smile tugging at her lips but nothing came and at that moment she finally realized where those endless circles were leading her.

"I can't."

Andrew cocked his head. "You can't what?"

"I can't go to Germany with you." she said softly.

A silence fell between them and she fought to hold his gaze.

"It's Henry, isn't it?" he asked a moment later but it was more a statement than an accusation.

"How—"

"I'm a shrink, Teddy." The corner of his mouth twitched. "It's my job to know these things."

Another pause. She'd never been good at break-ups.

"You're a great guy." she finally said. "A really great guy. And I've really enjoyed being with you but…"

"But I'm not Henry."

She allowed her silence to be her answer.

"So I guess there's no chance of convincing you otherwise." He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his usual suit trousers.

"I'm sorry, Andrew."

He flashed her one of his small, roguish smiles. "Don't be. If he makes you happy then you shouldn't be sorry for that."

She returned his smile then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, thoroughly grateful for his understanding.

"Take care of yourself, Teddy." he whispered, hugging her back. As he broke away, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead before turning to head back to his car.

She watched as he drove off down the dirt road until his car disappeared from sight. Andrew Perkins may have walked out of her life but damn her if she was going to let Henry Burton do the same. Retreating back into her house, she knew what she had to do.

...

An hour later, she strode through the glass sliding doors of Seattle Grace-Mercy West, her alert green eyes scanning the people bustling about the lobby. Despite the fact that the hospital had only been open for all of 30 minutes, the place was already crawling with people, all of whom had their own agendas and plans for the day and she was no different. Currently, her plan consisted of dodging her gossip-mongering coworkers as she made her way up to the patient floors, knowing that even the briefest run-in with any of them would result in her being made into rumor mill fodder.

Careful to keep her head low, she ducked into the elevator, grateful that her fellow passengers were no one that she recognized. Four floors later, she arrived at her destination and proceeded to disembark the lift, making a beeline for the nurse's station. Maybe she just would complete her task uninterrupted.

"Hey!"

She froze. Of course, she had spoken too soon. Turning in the direction of the voice, she saw a blonde woman skating towards her, her infectious dimpled grin in full form.

"You're late." Arizona said as she came to a stop in front of her.

And she was. However, she wasn't here to work. "I—I called in sick." _There goes being inconspicuous. _

Arizona arched an eyebrow. "You called in sick on your last day here?"

"Yes." _But it's not my last day._

"Then why are you here?"

"I…" Teddy's eyes darted around to glance at the patient rooms before coming to rest back on her best friend. "I'm not. I'm looking for someone."

At this, Arizona's eyebrows rose a little further into her forehead. "Okay." she said slowly after a moment and Teddy could tell that she knew that there was more going on than Teddy was admitting. But Arizona simply flashed another one of her million dollar smiles. "You better stop by the lounge this afternoon though. Callie and I are throwing a little good-bye party for you. It's gonna be super awesome."

With that, she kicked off on her skates and continued on down the hallway and out of sight. Teddy let out a relieved sigh. If she had to run into anyone, Arizona Robbins was her first choice, knowing that the pediatric surgeon would respect her privacy and let her cryptic answers slide at least until the blonde managed to corner her friend and cajole her into spilling what exactly was going on. But for now, she remained invisible to her coworkers and the sooner she got out of there, the better.

"Has Henry Burton been admitted?" she asked a young woman at the station who she recognized as one of the nurses usually assigned to Henry whenever he was at the hospital.

"No, he hasn't, Dr. Altman."

"Could you just check if he's scheduled for anything today?"

The nurse nodded and began typing away at the computer. "No, he's not scheduled to come in until Thursday."

"Okay, thanks."

As she headed back to the elevator, she considered her options. With her calls to both his cell and house phone continuing to go unanswered, no doubt due to the fact that he was still going out of his way to avoid her, he once again had fallen off the face of the earth, a fact that frustrated her to no end. She knew as she had driven to SGMW that the chances of him being at the hospital were slim but she had to start somewhere and going back to his apartment after what had happened last night was probably not the smartest move. However, considering his absence at the hospital, she couldn't think of anywhere else to go.

Groaning softly as the doors of the elevator slid open in front of her, she made up her mind and got on.

...

"Henry? Are you there?"

She pressed an ear against the green door, listening for any sign of movement on the other side but silence was her only answer. She knocked several more times.

"I just want to talk. Please?"

Again, she heard nothing. Stepping back, she looked at the door for a moment. Under any other circumstances she never would've even considered her next move but she needed to see Henry whether he wanted to see her or not. Quickly, she glanced up and down the hallway and after making sure that no one else was in sight, raised herself on her toes and reached for the small ledge above the door. Her fingers groped around for a moment before she felt cold metal beneath them. A second later, the key was in the lock and the handle turned, allowing her into the apartment.

As she suspected, it was empty and dark, the closed blinds and stillness of the apartment alerting her to his absence. She stood by the couch, recalling the events that had transpired in this very room just 14 hours ago.

She was angry when she had shown up at his door last night and one look at his clenched jaw and steely eyes told her that he was too. Somewhere in the part of her brain that was still operating rationally, she knew that they were in no emotional state to have a civilized discussion about their situation but all notion of that went out the door the moment she opened her mouth.

Even as she stood before him, his normally soft amber-green eyes blazing in front of her, she wasn't quite sure what she expected to accomplish. The papers that had been shoved unceremoniously in front of her the night before had been burning a hole through both the coffee table she had placed them on when she arrived home and her conscience and there was no escaping them. Even as she spent her day performing surgery after surgery, what Henry had said as they sat in Joe's replayed in her mind again and again, wearing at her already muddled feelings. Knowing that nothing would improve if she didn't talk to him, she proceeded to bombard his phone with calls until it became clear that he wanted nothing to do with her, which only served to eat at her temper even further. Soon, what had originally started out as a nagging irritation had quickly morphed into quietly boiling anger and by the time her shift ended that afternoon, she was thoroughly intent on giving Henry a piece of her mind.

The only problem was she didn't exactly know what that entailed. She had spent a majority of their "marriage" convincing herself that it was nothing more than a business deal, that at the most, he was a friend who needed help which she was more than willing to provide and for the most part she succeeded. But when Henry slid those papers across the table, a dark, unpleasant feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, a sensation that confused her to no end. Because if Henry Burton was indeed nothing but a business deal then signing those papers would be no different than signing her patient charts at the end of the day. And yet there she was, stinging from his decision to end their relationship as they knew it without even asking her.

Turning to look at the door, her mind briefly flashed to when Henry had pinned her against it, his lips attacking hers as his hands wandered over her body. She never condoned cheating in any form but at that moment, she just couldn't bring herself to care. The man all but turned her to putty and it was all she could do to not pull him back when he broke away. Despite the haziness of her mind after that earth-shattering kiss, she had seen the look that had fixed itself in his eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers, a look that told her she was an idiot for ever thinking that they could be in this situation and keep to their strictly "business" relationship. And now they were both paying the price.

She sighed and took another glance around the apartment. Having already established that he wasn't at the hospital nor was he going to be any time soon, she had run out of places to look. Despite it being only 8:00 in the morning, as an early riser, he could be anywhere and while she had half the mind to start searching the streets of Seattle at random, doing so would only get her nowhere fast. Stepping closer to door, her gaze fell upon one of the framed pictures decorating the wall, a beautiful 17th century British man-of-war sitting frozen in time in a ripple-less sea, its sails full in the wind and flag unfurled proudly.

It struck her then, as she stared at the picture, that there was one place she hadn't checked, a place he'd mentioned only once months ago as she sat by his bed after one of his first surgeries under her insurance. It was a long shot, she knew, but with nothing else to go on, it was her best shot and she was willing to take it.

She only hoped it wouldn't be in vain.

* * *

><p>AN: So…? What'd you think? I struggled a bit writing the last part. The complexity of Teddy's feelings threw me somewhat and it didn't come out exactly how I wanted it to. But c'est la vie. Also, as short as her part was, I loved writing Arizona. Her character is just so much fun. Anyways, I'd love to hear your thoughts. And I will post the final chapter as soon as I can. And this time it will be the final chapter haha. I can only drag this on for so long. XD


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: First of all, I apologize profusely for this very late update. Writing certain parts of this especially the ending was rather difficult for some reason. But anyways, this is the final chapter. For real this time haha. I delved into Henry's background in this and since we don't know much about him, I took some liberties and made up almost everything. I do hope it's believable. It may seem a little relevant at first but there's a point to it, I swear. And so, without further ado, may I present the final chapter. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: While I took some creative liberties with Henry's background, the character himself as well as Teddy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.

Chapter 4

It was a saying in his family that Burton blood was fishing blood. True to form, every man and even a few women in his father's family as far back as they could remember had been fishermen. Originally hailing from the relatively small fishing community of Seward, Alaska before relocating to Seattle, the Burtons lived, breathed, and bled the sea, a trait that was as part of them as any physical characteristic they possessed and they bore it proudly.

It was hardly a surprise, then, that Henry was raised to love the sea and everything it entailed from the moment his parents held him for the first time. He was the son of a fisherman from a long line of fishermen and no one expected anything less from him. And so, while most infants were still struggling to take their first steps, young Henry was already getting his sea legs on his father's boat, a 52 feet seiner christened the _Katherine Anne _after his mother, while his parents proudly looked on. At age seven, he knew every inch of the _K.A_. and every knot in the book. At nine, he knew all the best places to find salmon and all the places to avoid unless you wanted a net full of seaweed. And by the time he was 11, he could read the sky and decipher the wind like a weathered sailor, knowing if the day would bring sun or rain (since it was Seattle it was usually the latter). He had never known any other life and had been groomed to follow in his father's footsteps when the time finally came.

But there was one thing that matched his love for the sea: baseball. And when he was scouted his junior year and offered a full scholarship to U.C. Berkeley, he knew he couldn't pass it up. Even his father couldn't say no, knowing what a college education could do for his son. So in the fall of 1987, Henry Burton became the first in his family to ever attend university, a privilege his blue-collar parents were more than elated about.

Life near the City by the Bay wasn't too different from Seattle with its seemingly eternal wind, rain, and fog. But what really drew him to Berkeley was the ocean. While Seattle was sheltered in the Puget Sound, San Francisco opened directly into the Pacific Ocean, a sight that never ceased to thrill him whenever the clouds decided to part. But he missed being on the _K.A_., the boat rocking beneath his feet, the wind rushing past his face, the ocean spray dampening his hair and it wasn't until his sophomore year that he finally found a solution.

To this day, he wonders why he never found out about the ferries sooner. After all, San Francisco was surrounded by water. Nevertheless, he didn't know the ferries even existed until a bunch of friends brought him along for a ride but from that moment on, he was hooked. They became his sanctuary, the one place he'd go to whenever he needed to clear his head, think, or just be alone. During his long months away from home as he lead Berkeley to numerous wins, the ferries kept him grounded, serving as a constant reminder of where he came from and the fact that while he might've been one of the hottest young pitchers in the country, his roots would always lie with the sea.

Even when his college years ended and he gave up fishing to pursue a career in baseball, a move that his father didn't take lightly but eventually came to accept, he retained his soft spot for ferries, knowing that they were the closest he would get to a life on the sea.

He sighed then and brought up a hand to rub his weary face. He'd had one hell of a night with sleep coming to him in short 15 and 30 minute intervals before he decided that his erratic sleep pattern was actually making him even more tired if that was even possible. Rolling out of bed, he made some coffee which he drank without any sort of enjoyment as he attempted to fill his mind with thoughts of anything but her. But it seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't succeed and their encounter just several hours ago just kept replaying in a maddening loop in his head. With nothing to distract himself since it was still the early hours of the morning, he turned to the one place he could trust to calm him down.

Which was how he now found himself standing on the top deck of one of Seattle's own ferries, staring determinedly at the stormy grey water below. He'd been there for a few hours now and his hands have since gone numb holding the icy railings but the fact barely registered in his mind. Instead, he focused his attention on the vast expanse of water before him, watching as passing vessels drew ripples all across its glassy surface.

He knew coming here wouldn't bring him much solace; she had him wound too tightly for that. Nor would it cause him to come to terms with what was happening. What he wanted though was simply for everything to slow down. He wanted the chaotic jumble in his head to just settle long enough for him to process it. He wanted to be able to breathe without feeling like it was his last. He wanted to be control again because from the moment they met, Teddy Altman had all but stolen his heart.

And it killed him.

In 24 hours, she would be getting on a plane with her honest-to-god Superman to jet off to a country half a world away and he wasn't doing anything to stop her. Because if she chose Perkins then who was he to tell her otherwise? Just the fake husband who had stupidly fallen for her.

His thoughts once again strayed to the night before, to the heartbreak and anger pumping furiously through his veins. It had taken everything he had in him to push her away and out of his life, something that still made his chest constrict and his stomach clench even now 15 hours later. But it was done and he only hoped that she would spare him any more torture by signing the papers and staying the hell out of his life. He loved her and he always would but there was a part of him that wished more than anything that he would never have to see her again.

He scoffed derisively at his situation and continued his silent watch of the Puget Sound.

...

Teddy worked her way down the side aisle, her eyes constantly scanning the seats on either side of her although with all the vacancies, she didn't really know why she bothered.

She had arrived at the ferry terminal at 8:30 by which point the rush hour commuters had been whittled away to a few late comers here and there. This, coupled with the fact that tourist season was not yet in full swing what with it only being mid-spring, left the pier sparsely populated. Despite having never been on the ferries before (a testament to the hospital laying claim on nearly every waking moment of her life), she knew that there were only two that operated out of the Seattle terminal, a fact that assured her that her search here wouldn't take too long. A quick scan of the schedule then concluded with her buying a ticket for the first ferry out, the 8:45 to Bainbridge Island.

Which was shaping up to not be the ferry Henry was on. That was, if he was even on the ferry this morning. She let out a frustrated sigh as she finished circling the second deck which was nearly empty save for a few touristy-looking couples armed with cameras and street maps. Her eyes swept over the area once more before she turned to the elevator behind her and ascended to the top deck.

Immediately, the cool Seattle breeze rushed to greet her, bringing with it the sharp saltiness of the Sound and the freshness of the surrounding mountains and she inhaled deeply. In a rare show of generosity, the sky was cloudless on this particular morning and the sun was taking every opportunity to bathe Seattle in its warm glow. It was such a pleasant relief from the blood and antiseptic that often dominated her day at the hospital and she could definitely see Henry's attraction to the ferries. After all, he was held captive by the hospital nearly as much as she was.

As she began walking the deck, her heart sank at what she saw or rather didn't see. Unlike the rest of the ferry, the top deck seemed to be completely devoid of people and of a certain person in particular. She knew that she had had a 50% chance of getting it right the first time (if he was on the ferries at all) but she couldn't help her disappointment.

Sighing, she turned to circle around the engine room that took up the most of the center of the deck, already making up her mind to hop on the second ferry to Bremerton as soon as they returned to Seattle, and found herself staring at a familiar figure leaning against the portside railings.

Even with his back turned to her as he looked out over the water, she knew it was him. She took in his playfully mussed dark hair, the distinct shape of his ears, the way he stood with one leg slightly bent in front of the other as it rested on the railing, marveling at how effortlessly she'd come to recognize him over the past several months. How she ever could've thought that she could resist his charm and simply remain friends now seemed like an absolute absurdity.

She watched him for a moment longer, her eyes and heart softening as she did, before finally trusting herself to speak.

"Henry."

...

The soft voice that met his ears strained to be heard but he knew who it was without having to turn around.

"Teddy, please." he begged quietly, bowing his head. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

Teddy's heart broke slightly at his tone. "Can you just look at me?"

He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, debating on whether he should just walk away. But his heart seemed to tug in her direction despite what his mind was screaming at him instead and he found himself slowly turning to face her. His eyes remained downcast as he did before they flitted up to meet her gaze.

They stared at each other for a moment, neither quite knowing what to say.

"How'd you know I'd be here?" he asked at last.

"You told me."

Silence ensued and Teddy watched as he clenched his jaw, his amber-green eyes seemingly hardening by the second.

"I owe you an apology."

"We don't have to do this."

She frowned. "What?"

"Be friends. I mean, how many divorcees do you know are actually friends with their exes?" He tried to manage a smile but all he could produce was a slight grimace.

"Look," Teddy said, taking a step forward. "I know you don't want anything to do with me right now and after what happened I don't blame you. But I want to try this again. With my side this time."

She held his steady gaze and, when he made no attempt to answer, took it as her cue to continue.

"The other night you said that you weren't being fair to me. That marrying you wasn't fair to me. You made a very compelling argument and if I didn't know any better I'd be tempted to believe it myself. Because the truth is…" Pause. "I was the one being unfair to you. I told you that this was a business deal. That it was supposed to be about paperwork. And that what we had was just a good story." She took a steadying breath, stepping towards him as she did so. "But I lied. About everything. You never were just a business deal, Henry. I was an idiot to ever say that you were."

Henry shifted his gaze from where it had landed on the deck sometime after she had started talking to her piercing green eyes. She was standing close to him now, so close that he could make out the flecks of hazel in her eyes, her heavenly scent pleasantly filling his nostrils. "Then what I am?" he asked, his voice soft.

Her head tilted slightly to the side and his quiet inquiry was all she needed to gather her confidence and place a hand lightly on his chest. "My husband." She felt his heart quicken under her fingers as she said this. "And the man I fell in love with."

He stared at her a moment longer before a small smile began tugging at the corners of his mouth. He then dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers, effectively silencing whatever else she would say (not that he expected her to say anything more). Again, the taste of peppermint met his tongue, causing him to smile against her lips. Unlike their previous kiss which had been a fast, heated affair fueled by pent up anger and frustration, this one was slow and gentle with each of them trying to convey everything they had spent the past few months ignoring.

At last, they pulled away, the need for air becoming too great, and she took the pause to lay a hand on his stubbled cheek.

"I still want that divorce."

She blinked up at him, incredulous. "Did you not hear a word I said?"

"I did." he answered after a beat, his eyes dancing. "But I want to take you out and propose and marry you properly and already being married to you is a little contradictory so…"

Her eyebrow arched playfully. "I see. Well, in that case, I'll sign those papers as soon as I get home."

"Excellent decision, Mrs. Burton." he murmured as he brushed his lips against the shell of her ear.

"Soon to be ex-Mrs. Burton."

"But not for long." His lips traced a feathery path along her jaw.

"Eager are we?" she teased, trying desperately to keep her legs from collapsing out from under her.

His mouth ghosted over hers. "Can you blame me?"

She had just enough time to throw him a smirk before his lips once again captured her own and all thought about smacking him for his cheek quickly faded from her mind.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, there you have it. I'm not extremely thrilled with the last part of this but I'll let you decide if it was any good. I tend to be very critical about my work. Also, U.C. Berkeley, for those of you not from the States, is a university in the city of Berkeley which is in the San Francisco Bay in case you couldn't picture the geography. A friend of mine goes there; beautiful campus. I'm from the Bay so I've ridden the ferries and the ride is amazing (on sunny days XD ). I've also been to Seward; such a lovely, lovely place. But enough of my rambling. It's been great fun trying my hand at writing Teddy/Henry. Summer classes start next week but if I have an idea and manage to find time, I'd love to write more. Please do leave a review and tell me what you think. Until next time! :)


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